Joey's Blog

PocketWizard just released the new Plus III Transceiver, and man does it look like a valuable tool! It sells for $139, which in my opinion is a very reasonable price for what it does. This tool is a triggering unit, which means it can operate a remote camera or fire off-camera flashes. So would this be a valuable tool for me? It probably would. The ability to have a remote camera at sporting events would certainly be very cool. It is certainly a tool that I could see working for me!

In the market of photography, there are new products released everyday. Some may be bigger than others, such as cameras and lenses. It can be hard not to want the newest and greatest things. I would love to purchase a Nikon D4, but the business isn’t that good, and therefore isn’t a practical thing. I recently purchased a Gitzo 3541 LS Systematic Carbon Fiber tripod for the dirt cheap price of $600. The tripod regularly sold for $900, so I knew it was soon going to be replaced. Sure enough, Gitzo has come out with a new line of Systematic Tripods. The replacement to my tripod is the 3542 LS. It will sell for $950. Now are the improvements enough to make me want to sell my still brand new 3541 and go for the 3542? No. The only big difference I see is the addition of the Ocean Lock G-Lock that is supposed to reduce the amount of water and grime that enters the tripod tubes. This is a nice feature that saves time in the cleaning process, but isn’t a huge new feature. There are some other small things, plus the fact that it looks a lot cooler, but I will be sticking with my existing tripod. Before you pre-order that new product, take the time to read the specs and see if it will really benefit your photography.

I just received the LensCoat LegCoat Wraps from UPS today. Upon first inspection, I was very happy with how they look and perform. The pads are not very bulky, but very padded and comfortable. The legs don’t get splayed out when they are attached to the legs, which is another thing I like. So why would I buy these $50 foam pads? Well, it will protect the finish on the tripod, which will keep the tripod looking good, it provides a thermal barrier between your hands and the leg when it is cold, and finally, it is padded nicely so it can rest comfortably on my shoulder. Overall, a very nice piece of gear.